The Consultation Letters of Dr William Cullen (1710-1790) at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
[ID:134] From: Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) / To: Professor Thomas Hamilton / Regarding: Mr Thomas Hopkirk (of Dalbeth) (Patient) / 17 May 1781 / (Outgoing)
Reply to 'Thomas' [Hamilton?] concerning the case of Mr Hopkirk.
- Facsimile
- Normalized Text
- Diplomatic Text
- Metadata
- Case
- People
- Places
Facsimile
There are 3 images for this document.
[Page 1]
[Page 2]
[Page 3]
Metadata
| Field | Data |
|---|---|
| DOC ID | 134 |
| RCPE Catalogue Number | CUL/1/1/14/20 |
| Main Language | English |
| Document Direction | Outgoing |
| Date | 17 May 1781 |
| Annotation | None |
| Type | Machine copy |
| Enclosure(s) | Enclosure(s) present |
| Autopsy | No |
| Recipe | Yes |
| Regimen | No |
| Letter of Introduction | No |
| Case Note | No |
| Summary | Reply to 'Thomas' [Hamilton?] concerning the case of Mr Hopkirk. |
| Manuscript Incomplete? | No |
| Evidence of Commercial Posting | No |
Case
Cases that this document belongs to:
| Case ID | Description | Num Docs |
|---|---|---|
| [Case ID:1342] |
Case of Thomas Hopkirk who suffers from a severe pain in his right side and a related stomach disorder. |
6 |
People linked to this document
| Person ID | Role in document | Person |
|---|---|---|
| [PERS ID:1] | Author | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
| [PERS ID:1057] | Addressee | Professor Thomas Hamilton |
| [PERS ID:95] | Patient | Mr Thomas Hopkirk (of Dalbeth) |
| [PERS ID:1057] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Professor Thomas Hamilton |
| [PERS ID:1] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
| [PERS ID:175] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Dr William Hamilton (in Glasgow) |
Places linked to this document
| Role in document | Specific Place | Settlements / Areas | Region | Country | Global Region | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Place of Writing | Cullen's House / Mint Close | Edinburgh | Edinburgh and East | Scotland | Europe | certain |
| Destination of Letter | Glasgow | Glasgow and West | Scotland | Europe | inferred |
Normalized Text
After perusing your full and exact account
of Mr Hopkirks complaints I have had several conversations
with himself and am heartily sorry to find my old friend in
such a bad way. I am perswaded that there is a Suppuration for¬
ming perhaps formed in the small lobe of the liver which lies over
the stomach and reaches in its tumified state to the place where
he feels his uneasiness. His feeling no pain from pressure is no
objection to my opinion for I have frequently found the liver insen¬
sible in such cases. His frequent pulse and evening exacerbations
lead me to expect that a hectic in form the surest mark of puru¬
lency will soon appear. Your account of his urine led me to
think of diabetes but the urine I have seen does ↑not↑ look like it. --
I suspect that his urine is rather scanty ↑and↑ that an ascites is to
be feared. But I have said enough to Mr William 1 on the na¬
ture of the disease which I do not know how to cure. I am
clear in advising a journey to be longer or shorter according
[Page 2]
to its effects. His motion should be very gently and his days-
journey never long. His diet should be milk farinacea and
garden things, without any solid animal food. His drink must
be water or watery liquors without any thing fermented or Spi¬
rituous. If he is to set out immediately upon his journey I
would offer him no medicines but the powders prescribed in
the inclosed. If he was to remain at home I would order some other
medicines and probably shall have occasion to do so when he
returns from his journey. If he is to remain at home for a
few days I would apply a blister of no great size between the
scrobiculus cordis and navel and let a small part of it be turned
into a perpetual Issue. I wish I could say more and that
you could help me when he comes this way again. With
best wishes to your son 2 I am always
Dear Thomas
most sincerely yours
Edinburgh 17th May
1781
[Page 4]
For Mr Hopkirk
Take half a drachm of powdered gum Arabic, ten grams of powdered sodium carbonate. Mix to make a powder, and in this way make sixty doses. Label Aperient Powders, one to be taken in a glass of water twice a day.
17th May
1781
Diplomatic Text
After perusing your full and exact account
of Mr Hopkirks complaints I have had several conversations
with himself and am heartily sorry to find my old friend in
such a bad way. I am perswaded that there is a Suppuration for¬
ming perhaps formed in the small lobe of the liver which lies over
the stomach and reaches in its tumified state to the place where
he feels his uneasiness. His feeling no pain from pressure is no
objection to my opinion for I have frequently found the liver insen¬
sible in such cases. His frequent pulse and evening exacerbations
lead me to expect that a hectic in form the surest mark of puru¬
lency will soon appear. Your account of his urine led me to
think of diabetes but the urine I have seen does ↑not↑ look like it. --
I suspect that his urine is rather scanty ↑and↑ that an ascites is to
be feared. But I have said enough to Mr William 1 on the na¬
ture of the disease which I do not know how to cure. I am
clear in advising a journey to be longer or shorter according
[Page 2]
to its effects. His motion should be very gently and his days-
journey never long. His diet should be milk farinacea and
garden things, without any solid animal food. His drink must
be water or watery liquors without any thing fermented or Spi¬
rituous. If he is to set out immediately upon his journey I
would offer him no medicines but the powders prescribed in
the inclosed. If he was to remain at home I would order some other
medicines and probably shall have occasion to do so when he
returns from his journey. If he is to remain at home for a
few days I would apply a blister of no great size between the
scrobiculus cordis and navel and let a small part of it be turned
into a perpetual Issue. I wish I could say more and that
you could help me when he comes this way again. With
best wishes to your son 2 I am always
Dear Thomas
most sincerely yours
Edinr. 17th May
1781
[Page 4]
For Mr Hopkirk
℞ Gum. Arabic. pulv. Ʒſs
Sal. Nitri pulv. gr. x
ℳ. f. pulvis et fiant h. m.
dos. No. LX.
Sig. Aperient Powders one to be
taken in a glass of water twice
a day.
17th May
1781
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